Woman sets herself ablaze at PHQ gate

Sustains 45 pc burns, cop hurt in rescue

A 45-year-old woman set herself ablaze outside Delhi Police Headquarters late on Monday afternoon over a property dispute with her younger sister. Policemen deployed near the gate of the police building helped douse the fire, but not before she suffered 45 per cent burns.

She was rushed to Lok Nayak Hospital where she was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Burns and Plastic Surgery Department.

While her condition is said to be serious, she is likely to survive, a police officer said.Delhi Police Constable Vikramjit, who was one of the personnel who saved her from irreversible damage, too suffered burns on his hand.

Sushila Devi, a resident of south-west Delhi’s Sagarpur, has been booked for attempting suicide. Police said her statement would be taken after she recovers.

“The woman arrived outside the PHQ around 4.15 pm and suddenly, opened a bottle of petrol and emptied it on herself. Before the policemen near the gate could understand the situation, she had set herself on fire,” a senior police officer told Deccan Herald. The policemen rushed to save her.

Sushila’s family members and neighbours are being questioned, and they have revealed that she was miffed with her elder sister’s alleged attempts to have her evicted from their house with the help of forged documents and a property dealer in the area.

Sushila lives on the first floor of their house whereas her mother and an unmarried sister live on the ground floor. Her husband works in Madhya Pradesh.

“A few days ago, she had approached local police who tried to settle the matter between the two siblings through negotiations. Sushila was allegedly unhappy with the solution and she chose to draw attention to the problem by setting herself on fire,” said a source.